Boy Scouts of America is in no rush to lift its existing gay ban. Despite a recent announcement that BSA leaders this week would revisit whether to allow gay scouts and gay and lesbian troop leaders, news came yesterday that a decision would again be delayed.
“Due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review,” Boy Scouts of America said in a statement. The issue will now be revisited in May.
Corporate pressure from companies and their CEOsin particular,Ernst & Young Chairman and CEO Jim Turley and AT&T Chairman, CEO and President Randall Stephenson, who are both BSA board memberscertainly contributed to theBoy Scouts’ initial decision to revisit the ban. The proposed policy would have left membership decisions or exclusions based on sexual orientation up to theBoy Scouts’ 290 local councils and 116,000 sponsors, which are comprised of religious and civic groups.
